Bill 3 - Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec

Our rights aren’t optional: understanding the impacts of Bill 3

Bill 3 threatens union democracy and your collective power. Discover its concrete impacts and how you can take action to defend your rights.

President’s message

You have surely heard about Bill 3, An Act to improve the transparency, governance and democratic process of various associations in the workplace, tabled by the Minister of Labour, Jean Boulet, last October. Behind the rhetoric of “transparency”, this bill imposes measures that weaken unions and silence opposing forces.

By interfering in the democratic life of unions, the government is jeopardizing social gains that are essential for everyone.

Unions should belong to their members, not to the employer who is also the government.

To fully grasp the scope of the changes that Bill 3 would bring about and understand its direct impact on your rights, we invite you to continue reading this page. Discover the concrete impacts of Bill 3 and the reasons why it is essential to stay mobilized to protect our union democracy.

Julie Bouchard, President of the FIQ

Consequences of Bill 3 for you Bill 3 at a glance Struggles that go beyond working conditions I want to denounce the bill News Resources

Consequences of Bill 3 for you

What Bill 3 changes in our professional and union life:

Less means for defending your rights
A weakened collective voice
Major democratic setbacks
More government control

Bill 3 directly challenges the democratic functioning of unions. It is currently the members who determine their own rules and procedures.

With Bill 3, Minister Boulet wants to impose standard rules, without taking into account the realities of each institution or territory. In practice, even when members feel that another way of doing things is more tailored to union affairs, it’s the government that will have the last word.

By also targeting union dues, Bill 3 reduces the unions’ ability to challenge laws that affect your rights as citizens, and to support organizations that are essential to defending social rights.

These setbacks are significant and worrying, particularly in the current social context.

Bill 3 at a glance

What Bill 3 contains 

“Transparency”

Although we are all in favour of applying the principles of transparency, with Bill 3, the government imposes new rules which will increase union bureaucracy. This will undermine union action, particularly during periods of negotiation.

Union affairs

Bill 3 imposes ways of running union information and voting locations. It thus imposes government control over union constitutions and bylaws, currently voted on and adopted by the members.

Union dues

Bill 3 stipulates an annual vote of members on union dues called ”optional”. As such, the government wants to limit all union action that is not purely related to labour relations.

Bill 3 also removes the unions’ right to challenge laws, a right which would only be removed from unions, but not from other lobby groups or organizations.

I want to read the bill

Struggles that go beyond working conditions

It is largely thanks to unions that the entire population now benefits from health and safety standards, maternity and parental leaves, women’s right to control their own bodies, the standard 40-hour workweek, statutory holidays, a minimum wage, a pension plan, sick leave, pay equity, etc. In fact, union struggles have benefitted all of society, regardless of what the CAQ government and its Minister of Labour think.

As a union with a membership of 90% women, the FIQ cannot ignore social struggles that have a direct impact on women’s rights, equity and social justice.

As a union representing healthcare professionals, the FIQ cannot ignore the social struggles either that, directly or indirectly, had an impact on the population’s health and on the access and quality of care provided in the public network.